What CleanBrowsing does

CleanBrowsing is a private, US-headquartered DNS-based content filtering service operating a global Anycast network across 70+ data centers and processing more than 355 billion DNS queries per month for 5+ million devices. The platform intercepts domain name lookups, applies an ML-driven classification across 26+ content categories, and returns allow/block decisions, supporting encrypted DNS protocols (DoH, DoT, DNSCrypt) and a DNS firewall layer. Its product portfolio spans three free preset filters (Family, Adult, Security) accessible without signup, and paid subscription plans for Families, Schools (CIPA-compliant), Wi-Fi Service Providers/MSPs, Businesses, Municipalities, Transportation providers, Retail/Restaurants, and App Developers, with a separate RPZ Feed for DNS operators.

The company runs a hybrid go-to-market: a product-led/self-serve motion for consumers and small organizations routed through the my.cleanbrowsing.org portal, a sales-assisted motion for schools and larger enterprises via [email protected], an API/partner program for app developers and MSPs using a multi-tenant console, and a white-label OEM offering. Pricing is uniformly subscription-based — typically annual, with usage-based tiers for app developer integrations ($500–$2,500/month) and modest per-student/per-AP/per-bus tiers for vertical solutions. The firm emphasizes compliance positioning (CIPA-compliant, HIPAA-ready with BAA, Trunc SIEM integration) and maintains a content-marketing flywheel through its Learn Hub of 40+ SEO articles, comparison landing pages against named competitors (DNSFilter, OpenDNS, NextDNS, Cloudflare, WebTitan, ControlD), and social presences.

CleanBrowsing was founded in 2018 by Daniel Cid and Tony Perez and operates with a lean team of 1–10 employees. It self-describes as serving 10,000+ schools, hundreds of Wi-Fi providers and municipalities, and notable institutions including Cornell, UCLA, Baylor, Auburn, ASU, Drake, Bureau of Indian Education, City of London, and City of Scottsdale. No external venture or private equity funding is disclosed.

Name

CleanBrowsing

Legal name

CleanBrowsing

Website

https://cleanbrowsing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CleanBrowsing is a private US-based DNS content filtering service operating a 70+ data center Anycast network, serving families, schools, MSPs, municipalities, and app developers with subscription-based content filtering and threat-blocking products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

DNS Content Filtering

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

DNS Security & Protective DNS (HDADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Web Content Filtering & Safe Search Controls (EDAFALAK), Parental Controls, Content Filtering & Family Digital Safety for Smart Homes (HSAHAJAG), DNS Security Appliances (HDAFAFAK)

Keywords

• DNS content filtering
• Web filtering service
• Network security
• Parental controls
• CIPA compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Temecula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Free Community DNS Filters: Three free pre-configured DNS filters (Family, Adult, Security) available without signup or credit card. No direct monetization but drives brand awareness and conversion to paid plans.
2. Paid Subscription Plans: Annual subscription plans starting at $75/year for families. Includes customizable filters, activity reporting, profiles, custom block/allow lists, API access, and custom block pages. Billed annually with multi-year contract options for enterprise.
3. Wi-Fi Service Provider Plans: Tiered annual plans for Wi-Fi providers, MSPs, and integrators based on network utilization (requests/month) and customer account count. Plans range from $850/year (75M requests, 20 accounts) to custom enterprise pricing.
4. School/Educational Plans: School-specific pricing based on student count. Basic $300/year (<100 students), Midsize $600/year (<500), Large $750/year (<1000), with custom plans for 1000+ students. Includes CIPA compliance features and HIPAA-ready options.
5. App Developer Partner Program: Usage-based pricing for developers integrating DNS filtering via API. Starter $500/month (75M requests), Growth $1000/month (150M), Scale $2500/month (250M), Enterprise custom. Unlimited IPs and full API access across all tiers.
6. RPZ Feed Subscription: Response Policy Zone blocklist subscription starting at $2000/year. Provides malicious domain feed for integration with DNS resolvers like BIND and PowerDNS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CleanBrowsing provides a DNS-based content filtering service that resolves user DNS queries through its Anycast network to block unwanted content (malware, phishing, adult material, trackers), enforce safe search, and protect networks from malicious domains. Offerings are packaged as subscription tiers for families, schools, Wi-Fi/MSP providers, businesses, and app developers, supplemented by a licensable RPZ threat-intelligence feed.

Product overview

CleanBrowsing is a DNS-based content filtering platform that operates as a global Anycast network across 70+ data centers, processing over 355 billion DNS requests per month. The core platform provides network-wide content filtering by intercepting DNS queries and blocking access to domains based on 26+ content categories. The product portfolio consists of free community DNS filters (Family, Adult, Security tiers with no signup required) and paid subscription plans with full customization, activity monitoring, and custom block pages. Vertical solutions target Schools (with CIPA compliance), Businesses, Wi-Fi Service Providers/MSPs, Parents, Transportation, and Municipalities. Add-on products include the DNS Firewall (Protective DNS) for threat blocking, RPZ Feed for security vendors, and the App Developer Partner Program with REST API access for building filtered experiences. Native client apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The platform supports encrypted DNS via DoH, DoT, and DNSCrypt protocols, with machine learning-powered domain categorization via the Categorify engine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Categorify: CleanBrowsing's proprietary domain categorization engine that classifies websites into content categories for filtering decisions using supervised machine learning.
• RPZ Feed

Products and services

• Family Filter

Quantifiable outcome

• Processes over 355 billion DNS requests per month
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TrunccoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Trunc for HIPAA-ready SIEM and log management. CleanBrowsing offers seamless integration with Trunc for extended log retention and advanced reporting for organizations with compliance requirements.
• CategorifycoreTechnology or IntegrationMachine learning domain categorization engine powering CleanBrowsing filtering decisions. Available as free tool at categorify.org for checking domain categorization and submitting recategorization requests.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Quad9: Non-profit DNS service providing security-focused recursive resolution that blocks malicious domains. Comparable to CleanBrowsing's security/malware filtering layer but free and security-only, without the broader content filtering categories.

Direct peers

• SafeDNS: Cloud-based DNS filtering service for businesses, schools, and families. Comparable to CleanBrowsing in product (DNS content filtering), verticals (schools and families), and feature set (category-based blocking and reporting).
• WebTitan: DNS-based web content filtering solution from TitanHQ targeting MSPs and businesses. Comparable in delivery model (DNS filtering) and customer base (MSPs), positioned similarly to CleanBrowsing as a primary competitor.
• AdGuard DNS: Free and paid DNS-based ad blocking and content filtering service. Comparable to CleanBrowsing in core product (DNS filtering), pricing model (freemium with paid tiers), and target segments (families and privacy-focused individuals).
• DNSFilter: DNS-layer content filtering and threat protection platform targeting MSPs, schools, and businesses. Directly comparable to CleanBrowsing in product (DNS filtering), customer base (MSPs and schools), and positioning (categorized as a primary alternative in CleanBrowsing's comparison pages).
• NextDNS: Cloud-based DNS filtering service offering customizable blocklists, parental controls, and security features. Comparable to CleanBrowsing in delivery model (DNS-as-a-service), feature set (content filtering and privacy), and target segments (families, security-conscious users, businesses).
• ControlD: Customizable DNS service offering content filtering, traffic redirection, and proxy capabilities. Comparable to CleanBrowsing in offering (DNS service with filtering), user experience (preset and custom profiles), and target users (privacy/control focused consumers and businesses).

Broad incumbents

• Cisco Umbrella (OpenDNS): Enterprise-grade secure DNS and web filtering product from Cisco. Comparable to CleanBrowsing's DNS filtering core but bundled into a broader enterprise security suite, often competing for the same IT/security budgets in mid-market and enterprise.
• Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 for Families): Cloudflare's free DNS resolver with malware and adult content filtering variants. Directly competes with CleanBrowsing's free community filters on price (free) and global Anycast performance, and is explicitly cited as a competitor.
• Barracuda Web Security Gateway: Web filtering and security appliance/service from Barracuda Networks. Comparable to CleanBrowsing's school and business filtering offerings but bundled into a broader security portfolio, often competing for K-12 and mid-market IT budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cleanbrowsing
• Facebookfacebook.com/cleanbrowsing
• Instagraminstagram.com/cleanbrowsing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CleanBrowsing